Something to Talk About
by scoob2222
Summary: On a boring day, people cannot help but gossip, even at CTU. JackChloe pairing.


CTU could be a very boring place to work. It might sound strange, but it's true. For every 24 hour day full of death plots and bomb scares there were sixty days full of paperwork, program upgrades and stake outs. So between the craziness there was plenty of boring downtime.

And when people are bored they find things to entertain themselves. One of those things is gossip. It doesn't matter how old a person gets they never lose the urge to gossip. To learn something interesting or embarrassing about a person and pass it on to as many people as they can find.

One of the consequences of the nerve gas attack on CTU was the loss of 60 of their staff. This lead to a complete re-structuring of the department—people being transferred, hired, promoted, etc. For Chloe O'Brien and Jack Bauer it meant twice as much work and being on call 24 hours a day. It meant that their small amount of downtime was spent trying to de-stress, which usually led them to sticking together. The best way for either of these two to find even a small measure of peace was with the other.

Which was quickly observed by CTU workers new and old. The questions began flowing very quickly?

Are they involved? Are they having an affair? Wasn't she sleeping with the other computer guy? No, not that one the one with the lisp. Oh, he died, and she's already sleeping with someone new. What a slut!

Or other versions.

I heard she helped fake his death and protected him for over a year. Talk about devotion. I heard she stole an ambulance and drove to a refinery to save him.

Or this one.

There relationship is completely insane. He calls on her day and night and she just comes running. The woman has no life. It's pathetic.

Unfortunately that is the rumor the Jack Bauer overheard.

After that life got a little viscous around CTU. There was a lot less time for gossiping and a lot more ass kicking going on.

Finally, Chloe decided that she was going to have to talk to Jack. Something was obviously bothering him. He had been avoiding her for days and snappy with everyone around him. Usually she respected his privacy, allowed him to talk to her when he needed to, but this clearly could not wait.

"Jack," she said softly as she entered his office.

He smiled when he looked up," I didn't know you were still here."

"Yeah, I kind of wanted to talk to you."

He looked concerned, "Is something wrong?"

She stepped into the office and sat in the chair across from his desk, "Well, that was what I wanted to ask you. You've been kind of….hard to deal with the last few days."

"Hard to deal with."

"Yeah, is something going on? I mean, you know that usually I would mind my business, but you seem like something is bothering you and it's starting to dribble out all over CTU."

She watched him take a deep breath and rub his hands over his face, "I didn't realize it was that obvious."

"You just seem so angry at everyone. Did something happen?"

Jack put his hands down and looked at her, "People have been gossiping, about us."

"About who?" she asked.

"You and me."

She still looked confused.

Jack sighed, "They've been discussing the, uh...nature of our relationship."

"Oh," she said her eyes widening and then blushing she ducked her head, "Oh."

"Yeah, and it bothered me. I don't know why. I've never really cared what anyone thought about me. So, I let it go, but I really like some of the things they were saying about you, and that was ticking me off, but eventually I blew that off too."

"So what's bothering you now?"

"A few of the women were talking about how you're always there when I call you, when I need you."

"Yeah, so?"

"So, she was right. I call, you come."

"Jack, we work together. There's a problem—you call me, which makes sense since we're the bosses and two of the few people left after what happened."

"Yeah, but its more than that. I come over at all hours, ask you to listen to my problems. You're always there to listen. For god sake's I'd have starved to death by now if you didn't keep feeding me."

She looked down, embarrassed again, "Well, you forget you're a human. You need to eat. Besides, what's the big deal. I get myself a sandwich, I bring back one for you. Kind of like people try to kill me; you come to my rescue, right?" She thought a joke might lighten the room, which suddenly seemed filled with tension.

"People try to kill you because of me."

"Because of my job. Besides, you're my friend Jack." She said it very quietly.

"Right. You're my friend. And you're a great one Chloe, this really isn't about that."

"Then what is it about."

"Me. I'm not your friend."

She felt like she's been smacked and must have looked like it too because he quickly rushed on.

"No, no, not like that. I mean, I haven't been a good friend to you. When do I listen to your problems, or bring you a sandwich, or do anything but order you around."

"Jack, that's not true." She had to find someway to put out the devastation in his eyes.

"Isn't it? Tell me one thing I do for you."

She took a deep breath herself. She didn't want to have this conversation. There was just no way to have it without revealing way too much. But she couldn't ignore the look in Jack's eyes. He just looked so dejected.

"You don't make fun or me," she said before she could stop herself, "Most people, even when their being nice, are laughing at me when I'm not paying attention. You don't do that. No ones really respected me that way before."

Jack said nothing, so she continued, "And you do ask about my problems. After Edgar died all those late night phone calls. Yeah, most of the time you call me, but that's only because it's safer that way."

"And you trust me. Completely. No one else has ever trusted me that way before. It means every…..it means a lot to me," she finally finished, not sure what else to say, ducking her head again.

Suddenly he was kneeling in front of her and his hands were tilting her chin up. Then his lips were pressed against hers, urging her own open, pressing his tongue inside, taking complete control. She slumped against him and pulled her off the chair and held her against his body. Finally, when the need for air became to much they pulled back, him breathing hard, her eyes blurry with lust.

"Well," Jack finally said, as she wondered how he was forming words, "Now they really have something to talk about."

Chloe smiled slowly just before Jack reclaimed her lips again. Everyone else might be talking, but they weren't going to be for a long time.


End file.
